It is perhaps disingenuous to call harness racing a ‘new’ type of horse racing, as the sport has a history extending back more than 200 years, but compared to its sister sports of flat and jump racing, it is nevertheless a relative newcomer. The name given to the horses which take part in harness races is a ‘standardbred’, as opposed to the flat and jump racing’s thoroughbred. Standardbreds are specifically bred and trained for this kind of racing, and they are slightly smaller than their track cousins but have better stamina. The name standardbred was coined back in 1879 by the National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders in the USA, when they created the sport’s formal regulation that a trotting horse had to be able to traverse one mile in less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds. This one mile distance also became the norm for the length of a race, most harness races around the world now taking place over two laps of a half-mile track. The sport has grown in popularity all around the world in recent years, particularly in Australia where harness race meets have become a favourite family day out. The sport has also become a real favourite with gamblers. The other nickname for the sport of harness racing is ‘trotting’, and one look at a race and the way in which the horses run makes one realise where this name comes from. Horses are not allowed to gallop and must use one of the two officially recognised running styles, trotting and pacing.
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A pacing horse uses its legs in a lateral pair, its right front and right rear legs moving in tandem, while a trotting horse uses its legs in diagonally-opposite pairs. Pacing horses are generally more consistent runners, and as trotting horses can be guilty of breaking stride more often and thereby being forced to the outside of the racing pack, pacing horses are steadier, more predictable and as such more popular with bettors. The biggest and most obvious difference between harness races and traditional flat and jump racing is that of the cart, or ‘sulkie’ upon which the jockey sits and which the horse pulls behind it. To call it a ‘cart’ would be unfair as that would imply something wooden and unwieldy possibly carrying hay, but a sulkie is a sleek and lightweight racing construction usually made from titanium, carbon fibre and other lightweight materials. Quite surprisingly, and again different from traditional flat and jump racing, jockeys can begin participating in harness races at just 13 years old. It is this inclusiveness which has helped the sport to grow in popularity around the world and become a favourite day out for families. Another of the sport’s benefits is that when at the track, the fan can get a great view of the race action from anywhere around the track, something not always possible on flat and jump courses. A burgeoning sport which everyone can enjoy and also makes for a great activity on which to have a flutter. Check out harness racing today.
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